Judy Jumps In Headfirst
by PullTogether
Summary: Nick and Judy realize there's more between them than just friendship after he enlists some elephant-sized help getting her out of a particularly tight spot. Always remember to look before you leap, Judy! Nick Judy humor and fluffy romance. This story can be read as a standalone, but I like to think it takes place shortly after my other story, Lives Unraveled.
1. Chapter 1

Nick and Judy raced through the dense undergrowth of the Rainforest District as they tried to keep the weasel in sight. The light drizzly rain made the ground slippery, though it seemed to hinder the weasel less than the other two mammals.

Nick noticed the hole in the huge dead tree leaning against the hill the weasel had started climbing. _I bet he's headed up there._ Sure enough, the weasel angled towards the tree, so Nick veered off and made his way downhill towards the base of the trunk. Just before he lost sight of them, he looked up to see the weasel dive into the hole, followed closely by Judy. _You dumb bunny._

Nick poured on the speed and was able to tackle the weasel when he emerged from a crevice between the roots. "I ain't done nuthin' wrong! Why don't ya pick on someone else for a change?" The weasel continued to protest his innocence angrily as Nick cuffed him and Delgato jogged into view.

The weasel fell silent and cowered away from the approaching lion, who Nick started to greet when Judy's muffled voice interrupted him from inside the tree. "Uhh… Nick?" She spoke louder. "Nick! I need your help!"

Nick nodded to Delgato, who grabbed the weasel and waited while Nick checked out the tree. He hesitantly poked his head into the crevice to find that the trunk was mostly hollow. He looked up and saw that Judy was about twenty feet above him. "You ok?"

Judy nodded. "Uhh, sort of… can you come help me?"

"Be right up."

Delgato looked at Nick with a raised eyebrow. Nick shrugged, before he nodded at the weasel. "Can you read him his rights and take him in? I need to go check on my partner."

Nick climbed the hill and crawled into the hole, which was barely big enough for him to squeeze through. There was a small hollow in the tree, and against the far side was Judy's rear end sticking out from a hole in the wood. Nick walked closer to his partner's backside, smirking as he scratched his muzzle. "Huh."

Her tail twitched and Judy's voice was only slightly muffled when she replied, "What?"

"I see your problem, Carrots… you seem to be stuck in a hole."

Judy made a series of angry noises, sounds she usually reserved for those rare times that Nick pissed her off so much she couldn't form coherent words.

Finally she calmed down a bit and spoke. "Stop fooling around, Nick. I don't want anyone else to know I'm stuck in here."

"Relax Fluff, Delgato is taking the weasel in. There's no one here but you and me."

Judy struggled again, making grunting noises as she tried to move. Nick couldn't help but laugh. He also couldn't take his eyes off of her wiggling tail.

"Nick! Stop laughing at me and help!"

"You seem to have gotten yourself into a real _jam_ here, Carrots."

"Nick, I swear- "

Nick snapped his fingers. "Wait, I have an idea, I think I saw this in a cartoon once."

"What? Nick!"

"Yeah, we just have to wait until you burn off a few of those donuts you ate this week and then you'll slip right out."

This drew another flurry of incoherent angry noises from the rabbit, and she furiously lashed out with her legs. Nick backed away from her flailing kicks, before he grinned and gingerly reached out to tickle one of Judy's feet.

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers… Nick, stop tickling my foot!"

"Well, stop kicking or you're going to knock my head off."

Judy stopped kicking and Nick studiously avoided looking at her butt as he spoke.

"How did you even get caught in there? I thought your whiskers were supposed to keep this from happening."

Nick suddenly realized there was a faint odd smell in the air. He sniffed and tried to identify it while Judy spoke. "Yeah well… I think my belt is caught. It isn't like my whiskers can adjust for that, right? Can you help me get it off?"

Except Nick was barely listening, again mesmerized by Judy's fluffy white tail as it shifted back and forth. _Get it off. Wait, what? Oh, her belt. Right._

"Sure." Nick hesitantly craned his neck around, looking at Judy's belt from all angles. Most of the belt was visible, but the buckle wasn't. Nick murmured, "Sorry, Fluff," and reached delicately into the tiny crevice next to her left thigh and worked at digging the front of her belt out with his claw. The odd smell intensified when Nick slowly pulled on the belt.

Nick huffed while he helped her wiggle out of the belt, which he finally managed to pull through to his side after she had removed some of the pouches and holders, but she was still jammed in the hole. Her pants had ridden low, and Nick could see her gray fur peeking out as well as a hint of her black underpants. "My vest is in the way too, let me see if I can take that off."

 _Good grief, she's practically doing a striptease right in front of me._

As Nick continued to watch Judy struggle, he noticed the wood surrounding the hole was starting to get damp from the rain. _Uh oh. If the water makes the wood expand-_

As if on cue, Judy said, "Cripes, Nick, I swear this hole is getting tighter," Nick started to reply when he heard a vehicle drive up outside.

A door slammed and Nick heard Francine shout, "Nick? Judy?"

"Relax Fluffbuuu…. you should stay here while I go talk to Francine."

Judy didn't bother trying to mask her annoyance. "Yeah, I was gonna leave, but since you told me to stay-"

"That's a good bunny."

He started to pat her butt and froze, before he turned to climb back outside. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

Nick quickly explained the situation to Francine, and how he was worried the wood was expanding because of the rain. He was surprised when the elephant blushed and said, "Be right back." She returned to the cruiser and met him at the hole entrance carrying a large colorful bag with the words, 'Happy Birthday' splashed across the side.

Francine looked sternly at Nick. "Let me make this clear, fox. If you start teasing, or tell anyone about this, ANYONE," she paused and then continued, punctuating each word with a jab of her trunk, "I… will… SMASH… you."

Nick swallowed and nodded. "Ok."

Francine pulled a container from the festive bag and placed it on the ground. Nick eyed the container, which was almost large enough for him to crawl into, before he read the label and his jaw dropped open:

 _Elephantasy Glide (Strawberry Flavor)_

"Is that-" he froze when Francine glared at him, balling up the end of her trunk and menacingly swinging it through the air over his head once, like a hammer. Nick swallowed again. "Right. Smash. Got it."

Nick struggled with the container before Francine rolled her eyes and picked it up again. Nick hurried back inside the hole and looked out at the elephant as the rainfall intensified. "I don't think it'll fit, and it's too crowded inside here anyway."

Francine nodded. She crouched down and opened the lid. "I'll hold it for you."

 _Just me, Judy, and an elephant sized jar of lube… certainly not how I imagined today would go when I woke up this morning._ Nick took a deep breath and scooped his paws into the container.

As he approached Judy, she said, "Nick? What are you doing? And… why does it smell like strawberries-"

Nick interrupted her. "Trust me Carrots, you don't want to know. Just hold still."

Judy flinched and let out a little shriek when his paws slapped down onto her hips and he started to rub the gel all around her waist as close to the wood as possible. "Nick, what's going on? And stop, you're tickling me!"

"Ok, let's try-"

He was interrupted by Delgato's voice coming through both his and Francine's radios at the same time. "Does Hopps still need assistance? Over."

"NO!" Francine nearly shouted into her radio. She paused before speaking in a calmer tone. "Uhh, I mean everything is under control, over."

Delgato continued. "Are you sure? I mean she sounded-"

Nick wiped his paws on his pants and turned off his radio, but he could still hear Francine trying to convince Delgato they didn't need any help.

Judy yelled, "Nick, get me out of here before the whole precinct finds out I'm stuck!"

Nick grabbed her ankles and pulled gently. _Don't look at her ass. Don't look at her_ -

"Nick, for Pete's sake, my pants!"

He looked up to see her pants had started to slide off. Eyes glued to her black bikini briefs, his voice cracked when he spoke. "Oh, so you didn't want me to help you pull those off too?"

The stream of angry noises spewing from the rabbit snapped Nick out of his trance. He stopped and pulled her pants back up. "Keep your, err, tail on…" He closed his eyes before he continued. "I'm having a hard time finding a place to hold onto that isn't… embarrassing."

"Forget embarrassing, just get me the hell out of here!"

Nick stepped between her legs and wrapped his paws firmly around her hips, trying to ignore her muscles rippling and quivering under his paws. _Damn, she's in good shape._ He took another deep breath, the mysterious scent filling his nostrils, before he readied himself. With a quick jerk, he yanked her free with an audible squelch, followed by a tearing sound.

Judy slipped out of Nick's paws as he stumbled backwards. He tripped and fell with a jarring thud, followed by Judy crashing down on top of him, her elbow ramming into his crotch.

Nick saw a blinding white light and could swear he heard the faraway sound of angels. A low whine escaped his muzzle and he tried not to vomit.

Judy scrambled up. "Nick, are… are you ok?"

He clenched his eyes shut and curled into a ball before he gasped out a few words. "Just… give me… a moment… Carrots."

She knelt and put a paw on his shoulder. "Where are you hurt?"

He opened his eyes and noticed that the bottom of her shirt was in tatters, her taut stomach peeking out. He waved her off, rolled onto all fours, and crawled towards the exit.

Judy gathered up her belt and vest, eyeing Nick as he climbed out of the hole and pushed past Francine to flop down in the mud outside. The rain was falling heavily now, so he only lingered a moment before slowly standing up, his shoulders hunched while he limped towards the cruiser.

Francine had been watching Nick, until she turned to look at Judy when she popped out of the hole. "What's wrong with him? And are you ok?"

Judy buckled her belt. "I dunno, he won't tell me. And yeah, I'm fine."

The rabbit glanced at the container that Francine was holding, before the elephant noticed and quickly stuffed it back into the bag. They both followed Nick, Judy trailing behind Francine, a puzzled look on her face as they trudged through the rain.

Nick struggled to get the door of the elephant sized cruiser open and then squirm into the back seat. Judy put her vest back on and waited for him to scoot over, but he just lay there panting, so she closed the door and hopped into the front passenger seat. The car creaked when Francine slid behind the wheel before she put the bag behind her seat.

Judy spoke while the mammals buckled their seatbelts. "So… exactly what was the stuff you guys used-"

Nick tried to laugh, but it came out as a groan instead.

Judy gave him a worried look. "We need to take Nick to the hospital."

Nick's voice was strained. "That isn't necessary, Fluff."

"Then tell me what-"

"You know what, you're right. Let's go."

* * *

Judy started to say something else, but the tone of Nick's voice made her pause. It was the tone he used when he was angry and didn't want to talk about something anymore. _Stupid emotionally stunted fox._ She turned around and quietly looked out the window instead. Her brain was a jumbled mess, the events of the morning tumbling around in her head like clothes in a dryer. She took a deep breath and realized she still smelled strongly of strawberries. The scent reminded her of Nick's trembling paws on her hips, and she shivered. The memory made her ache. Her stomach swirled and fluttered, and there was a tingly sensation even lower...

 _Oh geez. Why am I getting so worked up over this?_

She wanted to laugh at her own stupidity, getting stuck in the tree like she did. Except it had made her feel ashamed and weak, two feelings she absolutely dreaded. And she was definitely not looking forward to the inevitable teasing from Nick. That had to be why she felt the way she did… right?

Except she thought back and remembered how safe she'd felt, once Nick was there to help her. If it had been any other mammal, she realized she would have been completely freaked out to have them touching her in the places Nick had been touching her. Not that he was doing it inappropriately, she knew and trusted him, especially with the way his voice quavered while he talked to her about being worried he would grab her in an embarrassing place…

The memory made her blush, so she plastered her ears down against her head and hoped neither of the other mammals noticed.

When they arrived at the hospital, Nick said, "Thanks for the ride, Francine." The elephant flipped a switch to unlock the back door and Nick quickly climbed out.

"Wait Nick, I'm coming with you." Judy turned to Francine and smiled. "Thanks for bringing us here. Can you call it in that I'm going inside with Nick?"

Francine nodded, and Judy was surprised that the elephant was fidgeting, like something was bothering her. But Judy would have to follow up with her later, since Nick was quickly hobbling down the sidewalk.

 _Nice try, Slick Nick._ Judy rushed out of the vehicle and caught up with him as he limped along. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I figured I'd-"

"Forget it, I already know you're planning on sneaking off instead of seeing a doctor. Don't make me drag you into the ER, because I will."

He stopped and started to bend down, like he always did when he wanted to deliver a particularly snarky comment to her in as condescending a way as possible, but he froze, a pained look wiping away his smirk.

"Nick? Do I need to get a wheelchair?"

He exhaled and stood up. "No. Thanks though." Judy grabbed his arm and steered him towards the emergency room.

Judy had a pretty good idea where her elbow had accidentally hurt Nick, and she couldn't help but shake her head as the fox carefully concealed what he was writing on the intake forms. She wanted to tease him, to lighten the mood, but now probably wasn't the best time. Besides, she should save up some ammunition for later, since he would almost certainly tease her mercilessly about getting stuck in the tree.

Judy did feel bad that she'd accidentally hurt him, so she thought about what she could do to make it up to Nick later. Judy remembered when her mom had made one of her brothers his favorite dinner after he came home from the hospital, and that gave her an idea.

* * *

Nick had hoped he could simply escape once they reached the hospital, but Judy knew him too well. She followed him inside and waited in the ER while he filled out the paperwork, and she didn't leave until he was taken into the examination room.

After an awkward exam by a badger with cold paws, followed by an ultrasound and a painful cab ride home, Nick collapsed onto the couch in his living room. Clad only in an old button-down shirt and boxers, he relaxed as the painkillers seeped into him while he held a bag of frozen peas to his crotch.

He was just drifting off to sleep when a gentle knocking at the front door startled him awake. Still groggy and awkwardly clutching the bag of peas between his legs, Nick stumbled to the door. _Probably Finnick_. He opened the door to reveal Judy, her grin faltering slightly when she glanced at the bag in his paw before he hid it behind his back.

Nick gaped at her, finding it hard to ignore the form hugging ZPD t-shirt and surprisingly short shorts she was wearing. He realized he was staring and his jaw snapped shut as they both started to speak at the same time.

"Nick, I'm so sorry-"

"Carrots-"

"I'm so embarrassed, I overheard you were injured-"

"Fluff-"

"In the… groin… area. I came by to-"

"Judy… JUDY!"

They both stopped talking and stared at each other.

Nick rubbed his temples and sighed. "Look, I appreciate your concern," he started to push the door closed as he continued, "it's been a blast, and we should never do this again sometime-"

Judy reached out and put her paw on the door to keep it from closing. "Oh come on Nick. At least let me help with dinner?"

Nick grimaced. "I don't have anything to eat except…" he grinned and showed her the bag he'd been holding. "Crotchpeas?"

Judy blushed and laughed.

 _She's so insanely cute when she does that._

Judy cleared her throat. "As appealing as that sounds, how about I go get some takeout and maybe, umm, a few cold packs?"

He smiled wanly. "Ok. Yeah. Thanks, Carrots. I'll leave the door unlocked, just come on in."

Nick closed the door and turned to look at the room. _My apartment is a disaster._

He hurried to gather up trash and stuff dirty clothes and random items into closets, under the couch, and in the bedroom. After frantically cleaning for a while, he crashed on the couch and fell asleep with the peas clutched against his injury.

Nick woke up an hour later and opened his eyes to find Judy sitting at the dining room table. She looked out the window, a frozen drink in front of her. Nick sniffed. _Strawberries? I didn't think she liked strawberry drinks._

He sat transfixed while Judy slowly, almost sensually, licked the frozen treat off the straw before dipping it back into the cup. She absentmindedly repeated the process a few more times.

 _Oh dear lord_.

She jumped when he moved on the couch, then shot him an angry glare.

"Why did you tidy up before I came back? You should've been resting."

He saw the food on the table and started to get up, but she scowled at him.

"No, just stay there, you idiot, I'll bring it over."

Nick chucked the bag of peas onto the coffee table, where they landed with a squish, causing Judy to look at them and wrinkle her nose. She handed him a fork and placed the food and a frozen blueberry drink in front of him.

He smiled meekly at the still annoyed looking bunny. "Thanks, Carrots."

Her face relaxed. "Can I get you anything? What can I do to help?" She sat down next to him on the couch before she asked in a teasing voice, "What did your mom do when you got a booboo as a kid?"

He started to speak , "Well, she used to-" and then he let out a strangled noise when he imagined Judy 'kissing it all better'. _Oh sweet Marion, my heart._ Nick coughed and continued. "Uhhh, yeah. Maybe one of those cold packs you mentioned? And I need to find my meds."

Judy sprang up to get a cold pack from the freezer and brought it back, along with the bottle of painkillers he'd left on the counter. She put them both on the coffee table and sat next to him again on the couch.

"Look, Nick… I'm sorry I elbowed your, uhh-"

"Don't sweat it, Carrots. I get a day or two off work, so it's not all bad, right?"

 _Whew, ok, keep it light_.

"It's not like I was using anything down there anyway."

 _Dammit_.

And then there was the smell again. Nick couldn't help himself; he leaned forward slightly and sniffed once, which startled Judy. She nervously patted her blushing ears down against her head before she jumped up and backed towards the door. "Well, I should get going."

He quickly got up and pulled her in for a hug. She stiffened for a second, then relaxed and hugged him back. Judy laughed and let him go when his stomach growled.

Nick opened the door for her and she walked outside. "Thanks for bringing dinner by, Judy."

She blushed and turned to walk away while Nick stared after her. _That little bunny tail is going to be the death of me_.

Judy glanced over her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, Nick. Please promise me you'll rest, and if you need anything, just call."

His tail started to wag involuntarily, and Nick cringed when she saw it and giggled.

He ran inside and pulled his tail out of the way just in time to avoid slamming it in the door.

 _Shit. Shitshitshit._

Nick gulped his dinner down and took two painkillers before he got ready for bed. He brushed his teeth and laughed after he noticed the little carrots on the side of the cold pack that Judy had given him. He stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed, but he couldn't sleep.

 _Ok, I can figure this out. Think… when did she start acting weird?_ At first Nick thought it started that morning, but then he realized, no… it was before today. _And what is that scent about?_ With a sensitive nose like his, Nick was good at ignoring most smells, otherwise everyday life would be overwhelming. He was familiar with Judy's usual extremely pleasant scents ( _ok, I'm getting distracted here_ ). It wasn't fear ( _a tangy, rabbity smell_ ), or embarrassment either, which was kind of like the fear smell. Nick ran through all her emotions and the associated smells. This was a new one. Or was it? Now that he thought about it, it did remind him of something…

Nick jolted out of his sleepy stupor. _Oh sonofavixen_.

The smell reminded him of their trip to Bunnyburrow last month. His mind raced through the trip. The drive out went smoothly, nothing unusual during the visit until… right before they left. Nick was roughhousing with a horde of Judy's younger siblings when she came back home from visiting… one of her friends, who was having a… party? No wait, a bunnyshower. And she'd been drenched in that scent.

She was standing in the doorway, like she'd been watching Nick play with all the little bunnies for awhile. One of her older sisters started talking to her and Judy looked embarrassed all of a sudden. They were supposed to leave right after she came back from the bunnyshower, but she insisted she needed to take a shower first. Even so, she hadn't completely gotten rid of the scent.

And then to make things even weirder, she asked Nick to drive, before she pretended to sleep the entire way back to Zootopia. Nick figured that maybe the bunnyshower had bothered her, like they always did since Judy found out she couldn't have kits of her own several years ago, but maybe it had been something else?

Nick's mind eventually calmed as the medication took hold, until he finally fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next day, Judy tried to ignore the awkward silence as she sat in the oversized police cruiser with Francine. Since both their partners had called in sick, they had been assigned to patrol together at roll call. Judy really liked working with Francine, but after she'd searched online to find out what the elephant and Nick had used to get her out of the tree, she could understand why Francine was uncomfortable.

Judy spoke hesitantly. "Look, about yesterday-"

Francine replied quickly. "It was a gift from my boyfriend, ok? It's not like-"

"NO, I mean, that isn't what I… I just wanted to say thanks, for not telling the other officers I got stuck in the tree."

Francine laughed nervously. "Oh, sure thing, Judy. It's… it's probably just better if we forget yesterday even happened."

Judy nodded. "Yeah." _I wish I could_. Judy blushed when she remembered the dreams she'd had last night, mostly centered around a particular fox. Where did all these feelings for Nick come from all of a sudden? But more urgently, how did Nick feel about her? Of course Nick being Nick, with his teasing there was almost nothing that was off limits, and they'd often joked back and forth about being a couple. But he'd only ever seemed romantically interested in vixens, right?

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?"

Judy blushed again. "What?"

Francine pointed at her trunk. "This thing isn't just for show. As good a sniffer as Officer Wilde has, I guarantee it's no match for an elephant's trunk."

"Huh. Sorry about, uhhh, my smell…" Judy trailed off.

Francine laughed. "Trust me, you smell way better than my partner. He's just a big furry ball of raging hormones." Judy laughed and the elephant continued. "The nose knows, my dear. I'm not even allowed to participate in the betting pools at work, because everyone feels like I have an unfair advantage."

Judy smiled to herself, as it dawned on her why a certain cheetah was always talking to Francine. _Now I know where he gets his office intel from_. "That's why I see Clawhauser giving you jelly donuts all the time."

Francine laughed. "Smart rabbit." She winked at Judy. "I like strawberry ones, by the way."

Judy chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." _I'm starting to get pretty fond of strawberries myself._

"I can give you some insight on Wilde, if you want. On the house, no donut bribe required."

"Really? It's hard hiding things from him, and yet most of the time I have no idea what's going on in his head."

Francine nodded. "He is difficult to read, including his scent. I have to wonder if male fox musk evolved as a defense mechanism, to throw off vixens." They both laughed and the elephant continued. "But even that can't totally mask his emotions. He does care about you, that much I can tell. Your feelings for him are way easier to smell, especially recently."

Judy's ears turned bright red, before she pressed them down against her head and looked out the window nervously.

Francine spoke quietly. "We don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to."

Judy sighed. "Honestly, I would like to talk about it, but I don't know what I want, or how I feel." Francine snorted and raised an eyebrow at Judy, until the rabbit spoke again. "Ok, I do know how I feel, but-"

"Have you talked to him about this?"

Judy made a rude noise and shook her head. "Pffft. We're talking about the same Nick Wilde, right? The more serious a subject is, the harder it is to keep him from cracking jokes and closing up."

Later that day, they pulled over a vehicle that was swerving through traffic. Judy got out of the cruiser along with Francine, to cover the elephant as the two lions in the car slowly climbed out with their paws over their heads. _Ok Judy, get it together. You're not going to let all this stuff about Nick distract you from your job._

Except Judy was distracted. She didn't realize just how distracted until one of the lions took a swipe at her, something she could have easily dodged on a normal day. After what Francine later described to the rest of the precinct as 'a bunny beatdown', the lion was quickly subdued and Judy realized the swipe from his claws had snagged more than just her uniform. At the hospital an hour later, Judy called Nick while the doctor stitched up her wounds.


	2. Chapter 2

Nick woke to the sound of his phone ringing. His stomach told him that he'd slept way later than usual, and he glanced at the clock. 4:30PM. _Ugh, it feels like someone kicked me in the… oh right, it was a bony rabbit elbow._

With a groan, he reached over to pick up the phone and answer it. "Hello?"

Nick's heart lurched when he heard Judy's voice. "Don't freak out, ok?"

He bolted upright. "What happened? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I just got a few lion scratches during a traffic stop. I'm sorry, I might not be able to come by later."

"Carrots, are you serious? How bad-"

"I told you not to freak out. I'm fine, the doc is stitching-"

Her voice was interrupted by a beep from his phone. He looked at the front, to see the low battery indicator flashing.

 _Dammit._

Nick jammed the phone back to his ear so he could hear Judy again. "-so don't worry, ok?"

"Sorry, I missed most of what you said, Fluff. The battery on my phone is almost dead."

"Don't worry Nick. I'm fine, and I'll be headed home in about an hour. I'll call you when I get there, ok?"

Nick nodded, before he remembered he was talking on the phone. "Right. Talk to you soon." He hung up and leapt out of bed to begin frantically searching for his phone charger.

Thirty minutes later, he swore after he bashed his head while he rummaged around under the couch. _This is what I get for cleaning this place up. Where the hell is that charger?_

Nick's stomach growled. He crawled up onto the couch and spoke aloud to himself. "Ok… time for a shower, and then I'll head over to her place, to check on her. That's what she did for me, seems only fair that I return the favor. Just one friend checking on another friend. Yep. That's what friends do."

Nick got cleaned up and hurried to get dressed, pausing only to smile when he saw the black boxers covered with large orange carrots that Judy had given him as a gag gift for his last birthday. _Eh, it's not like she'll see them._

But Nick put them on anyway, along with khaki pants and a dark blue Hawaiian shirt. He scooped up his aviators and the bottle of pain meds before he hurried out the door.

Nick gingerly walked up the steps to the second floor apartment he'd helped Judy move into a few months ago. He hadn't been back since then, but he didn't have any trouble finding it. He knocked, and chuckled as he looked down at the purple mat in front of her door, the word WELCOME spelled out with orange carrots. Nick waited, nervously clutching a bag and a carrier with two drinks.

Judy answered the door, wearing only a long black ZPD t-shirt that went down to her knees.

Nick squinted at her. "Are you… is that my shirt?"

"What, you said it was too big, and you never wear it."

"Probably because somebunny pilfered it out of my locker at work!"

"I did not… I took it off your desk." Judy folded her arms. "And aren't you supposed to be resting at home?"

"I would be, if you were more careful." _I have to admit, that shirt looks way better on her than it does on me_.

"Well don't just stand there, come in."

Nick put the food on the dining room table and took off his sunglasses while Judy closed the door. She smiled and picked up the drinks before she walked towards her bedroom. "I can't comfortably sit, so just bring the food back here." Nick suddenly wasn't very hungry for some reason, so he put one of the carryout containers in the fridge. He scrounged a fork out of the bag and brought the remaining container along with a dining room chair into Judy's bedroom.

Nick put the chair next to her bed and sat down as Judy sprawled out on her stomach. She gave him a puzzled look and put their drinks on the nightstand. "Aren't you eating?"

He nervously played with the takeout container in his paws. "I put mine in the fridge, I'll eat it later." Nick noticed a bandage on her left leg peeking out from the bottom of the shirt. "Well, at least I'm not the only thing that's a pain in your backside for once." Judy laughed and blushed. "You ok? tell me what happened, Carrots."

"Maybe later. I'm a little loopy because I took some meds earlier, but I'm fine."

Nick opened the container. "You gonna at least show me your war wounds?"

"Never."

"Awww, come on. Also, I'm kind of jealous. Just imagine how impressed your family will be when you show off your lion scars."

Judy laughed nervously. "Ah ha haaa… yeah, they definitely aren't going to be seeing my scars."

Nick held the container and fork out to her. "Well, then tell me what happened."

"It's too hard for me to eat this way. Since you're not eating, why don't you feed me?"

"Seriously, Carrots? Nice deflection, by the way."

"I learned from the best. And you have to feed me, because I have a picture of you asleep on your couch, uhh, holding the bag of peas-"

"You do not!"

Judy smirked. "Yep."

Nick was holding the food container in his left paw, so she grabbed his left arm and pulled it close before she tucked it under her chin and looked at him imploringly. _Good grief, she's so adorable right now._ He rolled his eyes and speared a piece of broccoli with the fork. "Fine. But you're deleting that picture."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

Nick fed Judy for several minutes, sometimes teasing her with a bite before he ate it. _Just a friend feeding another friend in a friendly friend kind of way._

Judy finished her drink and yawned. She shook her head when Nick offered her another bite. "No thanks, I'm full."

"Of course, your majesty. Shall I fluff your pillow and fetch your slippers?"

"Nope, just sit here and talk to me for a bit." She yawned again as Nick started to pull his arm away. "Nuh-uh."

Judy tightened her grip on his arm and Nick let out an exaggerated sigh before he awkwardly scarfed down the rest of the takeout. When he was finished, he dropped the fork inside the container and placed it on the floor. He leaned back in the chair and sighed again. "Judy, I wanted to ask-"

He looked over at the sleeping rabbit, still snuggled on his arm, and smiled. _Already out like a light._ Nick tried to pull his arm away, but she was latched on tight. _Damn, she's strong._ He shrugged to himself, before he started to awkwardly take off his pants with his free arm. _Guess it's a sleepover then. At least I get to show off my boxers in the morning._

Nick watched Judy while he drowsed next to her until he finally fell asleep.

The next morning, Nick woke up to someone knocking on the front door. He yawned and noticed Judy was still clutching his left arm, her face inches from his. During the night she'd pulled him over to slouch on the bed and he'd draped his other arm over her.

 _Well, this is nice. Except now my back is killing me._

Nick wiggled his left arm free and stumbled into the living room. He yawned again and stretched before he walked over to look through the peephole. Nick saw the water buffalo waiting outside and shuddered.

 _Oh great. This is where I get fired for missing work today and not calling in._

Chief Bogo crouched in front of the small door and knocked again before it slowly opened. Bogo stood up, surprised to see Nick answering the door, though the buffalo's face remained impassive. _Finding Wilde here just made the ZPD betting pool much more interesting._

Bogo grinned humorlessly as he towered over Nick, causing the fox to visibly cringe. _Let the little bastard sweat a few seconds first, before I deliver the good news._ Nick flinched when the Chief spoke. "I'm glad you're here, Wilde. I've been trying to reach you. You seem to have recovered from your… injury."

Nick gulped and nodded. "Yeah. I meant to call in, but… well, uhhh, my phone battery is dead-"

"Don't care, Wilde."

Nick swallowed and nodded again. "Right."

"How is Officer Hopps?"

Nick smiled weakly. "She's resting comfortably and is in good spirits, sir."

Bogo nodded and his eyes narrowed slightly. _I bet she is._

The Chief continued. "You're still on leave. Mammal resources told me you've got plenty of hours left to burn. Your new assignment is to make sure Officer Hopps follows the doctor's orders, which clearly state she needs at least seven days of rest to heal. Since she's caught up on all her paperwork, unlike some officers," he paused until Nick looked guiltily at the ground, "she's excused from desk duty until further notice. I don't want to see her until she has a note from the doctor stating she's fit for duty. Do I make myself clear?"

Nick's demeanor perked up. He stood at attention and saluted. "Yesssir."

 _Smarmy little prick. At least this will keep him occupied. He's insufferable when Hopps isn't around._

The Chief nodded again. "Very good. Give Officer Hopps my regards." He turned to go, but paused and looked at Nick again. "Oh and Wilde... nice boxers." Bogo snorted and walked away as Nick gaped after him.

After answering the call of nature, Nick left the bathroom and almost ran into Judy.

"Good morning, Carrots. How's your butt?"

"It's fine. How's your… uh, self?" Her ears blushed red as she squeezed past him and closed the bathroom door without waiting for his reply.

Nick smacked his forehead with his paw. _Real smooth, Wilde._

Nick went to the kitchen to get some water and take his meds, before he wandered back to the bedroom to look out the window. He stood and watched a goat trimming bushes in the apartment courtyard below. Nick tried to stifle yet another yawn. _Ugh, I wish Carrots would get a coffee machine._

A few minutes later, Judy came in and closed the door behind her before she flopped down on the bed. Nick moved to sit in the chair next to her. "I know you heard Bogo with those big bunny ears of yours. It's just you and me today, Fluff."

She nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I heard. Nice boxers by the way."

He grinned back at her. "Some crazy bunny gave them to me."

She looked at Nick's face, then averted her eyes shyly and bit her bottom lip. Her voice quavered slightly when she spoke. "So… can you do me a favor?"

"You bet. Whatever you need, Carrots."

Her nose twitched and she looked up at him. "It's hard for me to reach… can you change my dressing?"

Nick felt like his brain was going to explode. _Keep your cool, hotshot._ "Of course. Right. Sure, not a, uhh, problem-"

"Nick?"

"Yeah?"

Judy pointed at the clean dressing and other items sitting on the nearby desk, before she moved to lay facing the far wall.

"Right. Gotcha." Nick tried to keep his paws steady while he read the doctor's orders. He went to wash his paws, and his breath hitched when he returned to find Judy had hiked up her shirt to just over her tail. Nick focused on the bandage covering the upper part of her left leg and tried to keep from looking at the rest of Judy. _She's just a friend, keep your eyes in your head Nick. Also, try to avoid saying anything unusually stupid._

Nick's paws shook as he carefully lifted the old dressing. He saw the wound and inhaled sharply. Her fur was shaved around the angry red gashes that went diagonally from a spot beside her tail all the way down to behind her knee. "Judy, this looks way worse than you let on."

Judy shrugged, her voice calm. "Don't worry, it's fine." She continued to carefully study the far wall. He could smell how nervous she was.

Nick licked his suddenly dry lips and spent the next several minutes gently cleaning around the stitches with antiseptic wipes before he finally spoke again. "After this, the phrase 'bun bun' will never be the same for me."

Judy's voice was shrill. "Nick!"

"What? I'm just sayin… if I laugh when your mom says it, you'll know why."

"Perv. So, does it… look ok?"

"I'll say."

Judy's ears flushed bright red. "I'm talking about the wound!"

"Oh right. Yeah, sure." Nick smiled and finished cleaning before he gently rubbed some cream on the scratches.

Judy sighed and was quiet for a few moments. "Quit ogling my butt and finish bandaging it already."

He tossed the old dressing into a nearby trash can along with the wipes. "Madame, how dare you… I never ogle. I glance at, perhaps even admire, BUT-"

"Nick stopppp…"

He grinned as he put the new dressing on her leg. Even though he couldn't see her face, Nick could hear the laughter in her voice. He basked in the waves of her happy scent, and then… there it was again.

 _It's now or never_.

Nick tried to keep his voice casual. "So, when we visited your parents this last time, what happened after the bunnyshower?"

Judy continued her examination of the far wall. "What, uhh, what do you mean?"

"Back then you had a certain… scent I don't recognize. The same one you have right now."

Judy's ears straightened, then flopped down against her head. "Yeah, I probably should take a shower."

"That's not what I'm talking about. And no, you can't because the doctor said you have to wait a few days." Nick finished applying the dressing, before he reluctantly pulled her shirt down to cover her.

He finished cleaning up and went to wash his paws again. He moved so he could face her, crouching down until his muzzle was inches from hers. "Alright, bun bun," she rolled her eyes and he continued, "talk to me."

Judy stuffed her face into her pillow, muffling her voice. "Why must you humiliate me."

"Says the blackmailing bunny with pictures of me holding a bag of peas on my crotch."

Her shoulders shook while she laughed into the pillow, before she peeked up at him.

Nick swallowed, feeling surprise at the sudden thought that pushed into his brain.

 _I'd do anything for those eyes._

She saw the look of shock on his face as he turned away, trying to hide that his eyes had started to tear up.

Judy spoke softly, almost a whisper. "Hey." She waited for a few moments, but he wouldn't look at her. "Talk to me."

Nick smiled wanly. "No fair, I asked you first."

Judy's stomach growled and Nick laughed. "Sounds like somebunny is hungry." Thankful for the distraction, he grinned and started to walk towards the door. "I'll tell you what, lemme go grab some coffee and muffins, and we'll talk more after we eat."

Judy spoke when he started to open the door and walk out into the living room. "Nick?" He turned and she pointed at his pants on the floor. "You might want to put those on first."

They both broke down laughing and Judy snorted, the way she always did when she couldn't contain her mirth. This made Nick laugh even harder, until they both had to wipe tears from their eyes. Nick walked over and put his pants on, still chuckling and watching Judy's shoulders shake, her laughter slowly subsiding into sporadic giggles. Her happy scent flooded his nose, and time slowed while Nick savored how beautiful Judy looked at that moment. The way the t-shirt hugged her curves as she lay sprawled on the bed, with the morning light streaming through the window behind her. When she looked up at him, her serene amethyst eyes meeting his, Nick realized this moment with Judy, like so many others that they spent together, was one of the happiest of his life.

He didn't even think as the words slipped out. "I love you, Judy Hopps."

They both froze and held their breath, the words he'd said still hanging in the air.

 _Oh crap._

Nick stuttered, "Uhhhh, I'll be right back." He turned to race out the bedroom door and slammed it behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

_How could I just blurt that out and run off?_

They'd known each other for a long time now, and it wasn't like they hadn't thrown the L word back and forth before, but this was different, and Nick knew it. _I'll figure this out while I go get coffee._ He squinted from the early morning light and wished he hadn't forgotten his sunglasses.

Several minutes later, he walked through the front door of the Kopi Luwak Coffeehouse and was amazed to find it almost deserted.

 _When I'm in a hurry, this place is always packed. Today of all days it has to be empty?_

He spoke to the civet behind the counter. "I'll have the usual."

The civet smiled at Nick before she glanced around, as if she were looking for someone. _Oh good grief, she's wondering where Judy is._

She paused and looked at Nick. "You're by yourself today?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Oh, I need to get the order to go."

The civet nodded. "Two coffees and two muffins?"

Nick slouched against the counter and tried to hide his nervousness. "That's right darlin'."

She rang up his order and he paid and walked away, almost making it to the exit before he paused and came back to the counter. _I can't believe I almost walked out without the order I just paid for. Ok, pull yourself together, Wilde._ He took a deep breath and tried to clear his thoughts. _It's simple, you'll just go back and ask her how she feels. Easy peasy._

Normally Nick would have enjoyed a little harmless flirting while he waited, but today his heart just wasn't in it. He mindlessly played with the napkin dispenser until the civet placed his order on the counter. "Can I get you anything else?"

Nick smiled at her. "Nope, thanks." He stared at the bag and two coffees for a few seconds and then picked them up. _Well, unless I'm planning on drinking both of these coffees and eating two muffins, I better head back_.

Nick had to fight the urge to turn tail and run home on the walk back to Judy's apartment. _It's no big deal, this isn't the first time that you've told someone that you love them. What's the problem here?_ He kept repeating variations of this to himself over and over until he stood in front of her door. Just as he reached to open it, Nick froze when he realized something that made his chest tighten uncomfortably. _Except this is the first time I've ever told another mammal I loved them before they said it to me first._

* * *

Judy gaped at the empty space where Nick had been standing seconds earlier. She heard the front door open and then slam shut. _What the hell? Did he just say he loved me before he bolted out of here like his tail was on fire?_ She briefly considered running after Nick. _He's probably already halfway across the city, and I don't even know where my pants are._

They said they loved each other now and then, but it had always just been lighthearted banter. Except this time, his voice was… well, happy, instead of his usual teasing voice. And he looked terrified immediately after he'd said it. Now that she thought about it, Nick definitely wasn't his usual snarky self the past few days. He hadn't even teased her about getting stuck in the tree. Him ignoring such juicy material to razz her about was downright unheard of.

She got up and opened the window. _What if he doesn't come back?_ Judy watched the goat groundskeeper going about his work and she tried not to panic. Her gut twisted as she thought about what it would be like if Nick didn't return. _We've always been there for each other. He'll be back._

But the worry gnawed at Judy until her phone rang. She looked to see who it was before she answered. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, bun bun." Judy was grateful it wasn't a Muzzletime call when she blushed and lowered her ears. _Thanks for ruining that for me forever, Nick._

"I couldn't remember if you had today off or not, do you have time to talk?"

"Yeah."

Her mom continued. "How are things?"

Judy hesitated. _Oh right, I haven't told my parents about my butt getting shredded by a lion_. "I'm ok. Nothing serious, but I was… slightly injured yesterday, so I'm-"

"Are you sure you're ok? How bad is it? Do you need us to come-"

"Mom… MOM. No, I'm fine, and Nick is here taking care of me." _Or at least he was, until he freaked out and ran off_.

"Oh, I'm glad. How is Nick?"

"He's good mom." She hesitated. "How… how did you know you were in love with Dad?"

"That's a pretty deep question, Judy." Her mom paused for a few moments and then continued. "From the first time we met, he was always so good at making me feel special-"

 _Which is probably why I have so many siblings… ugh, that's something Nick would say._ Judy's mind wandered as she worried about Nick, before her attention returned to her mom speaking.

"- and eventually, there just came a point where I couldn't imagine my life without him in it." Her mom paused. "Are you in love with someone?"

Judy was silent for a long time. Her mom waited patiently until Judy finally spoke. "Yeah, I was too dumb to realize it, but I think I am."

"That's wonderful! I know you were taking a break from dating… where did you meet him? And how long have you been seeing each other? Tell me all about him."

Judy smiled. "He's tall, and handsome, and he makes me laugh. It's Nick, Mom." She took a deep breath. "He told me a little while ago that he loved me."

"Well, things are serious then. What did you tell him after he said it?"

"I didn't really get a chance. He freaked out and ran off before I could say anything."

Her mom laughed. "Sounds like your father. He said it to me first-

Judy jolted upright. _He said it to me first_. Judy thought about what her mom had just said as she continued to ramble on about another rabbit she'd dated prior to meeting her dad. Judy realized that she had always been the one to put herself out there first in her relationships, and she knew from experience how hard that was. For Nick to do it… well, it must be insanely difficult for him right now. Judy stifled a laugh. _More like traumatizing. Poor fox_. Judy's attention was pulled back to the conversation when her mom said her name.

"Judy, what really matters is how you feel. If Nick loves you, he'll be patient and wait for you to figure out your own feelings."

"I… I do love him. I have for awhile now."

"Oh Judy, I'm so happy for both of you!"

"I'm just worried… hang on a second." Judy could barely hear her mom after the groundskeeper started a lawn mower outside. She got up and struggled with the window before she finally got it closed and it was quiet enough for her to continue. "I mean, he's a fox and I'm a bunny."

Her mom replied, "Some mammals won't understand-"

Judy interrupted her. "I know Mom, it would be tough-"

"Let me finish. That doesn't matter. Love is love, and you two already work together so well. And I don't just mean as police officers."

Judy smiled. "You're right. We've known each other so long… I'm such an idiot. It's just… I don't want to mess things up, especially since we work together."

"You two will figure it out. He's a sweet mammal with a good heart. And honeybun, you need to tell him how you feel. Don't torture the poor fox and keep him waiting too long."

Judy's smile widened and she began to bob up and down slightly as she spoke. "Yeah, I'll tell him when he comes back. And you're right, I shouldn't leave him hanging." She heard the front door open and close. "He's here. I need to go talk to him, Mom. Thanks for listening."

"You're welcome, Judy. I'm glad I could help."

Judy burst from her bedroom, brimming with excitement, to find a paper bag and two coffees on the table, but Nick was nowhere in sight. _Maybe he's in the bathroom._ She eagerly ran to check, only to find that it was empty.

* * *

Just as Nick touched the doorknob, an abrupt loud noise made him flinch. _Oh, it's just a lawn mower._ He opened the door and went inside Judy's apartment. The noise was even louder indoors. He put the bag and coffees on the table and it grew quiet after he heard the bedroom window slide shut.

Nick froze when he heard Judy speaking through the closed bedroom door. "I mean, he's a fox and I'm a bunny." He held his breath and she continued. "I know Mom, it would be tough-" Nick couldn't move while he waited, the seconds seeming to tick by glacially. "You're right. We've known each other so long… I'm such an idiot. It's just… I don't want to mess things up, especially since we work together." His ears laid back on his head after Judy finally spoke again. "Yeah, I'll tell him when he comes back. And you're right, I shouldn't leave him hanging."

 _Well, there's the answer I should have expected._

Nick walked out the front door and closed it behind him. He jogged past the goat cutting the lawn and covered his ears to block out the loud noise from the mower.

 _Nonononononoooo_

He jogged faster, trying not to think about how he'd managed to screw everything up so badly. _What the hell was I thinking? Can I undo this somehow? No, no I cannot._

He continued towards the park that was halfway between his apartment and Judy's, where they often met for picnics on their days off.

 _Wow, this is a new record. Running off twice in the same day._

Nick felt like he was coming apart at the seams. He sat on a secluded bench behind one of the many lines of hedges in the park and held his head in his paws. _I always run off when things get rough, which is probably why my relationships don't last long. Except… how long have I known Judy? Longer than anyone else I'd call a friend, besides Finnick. Hell, I've told her things I haven't told anyone else. And it's not like we haven't had fights before, and we've always worked it out eventually. Not that this is a fight._ Nick sighed. _No, just me blurting out that I love her, and then running out the door. Twice._

Nick looked tentatively in the direction of his apartment as he mulled things over. He laughed when he thought of the question he often asked himself if he wasn't sure what choice he should make. _What would Judy do? She'd sit down and talk, and not hide her feelings or run off. Except I'm not Judy. I've never been in touch with my feelings like she is._

The bright morning sunlight bothered Nick, so he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. _I should have stayed and talked to her anyway. We've always been there for each other, and we've always had each other's backs. If our roles were reversed, I'd be worried about her right now_. The thought of Judy worrying about him made his heart lurch. _All of this is irrelevant anyway. It doesn't matter how she feels about me, I can't just abandon her today. She needs me._

Nick stood and looked in the direction of his apartment one last time before he turned to retrace his steps.

He'd only walked a few feet when he caught a whiff of a familiar scent, and he realized he was no longer alone. He stepped past a hedge and found Judy awkwardly leaning on a bench and staring at her phone. Nick felt a sudden tightness in his chest when her ears swiveled towards him and she looked up.

He tried to sound casual, but his voice shook. "Aren't you supposed to be at home resting, Carrots?" He was so nervous he barely noticed the baggy scrub pants that Judy was wearing along with her fitted ZPD t-shirt.

Nick had a hard time reading Judy as she put her phone away and looked at him solemnly. Even her scent didn't provide any clues to what she was thinking. _Well, at least it doesn't seem like she's pissed._ "Look, Judy-" Nick gazed at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck with one paw while he tried to find the right words. He was afraid to move closer to her, so he sidled over to a nearby bench.

It happened so fast Nick didn't even have time to blink. Judy hopped in front of him and gently pushed Nick backward until he plunked down on the bench, before she reached to cup the sides of his muzzle in her paws. Her scent washed over him as she bent forward and they shared a quick electric kiss.

When she pulled away, he absentmindedly licked his lips once, and she opened her amethyst eyes to look at him. He froze, lips still slightly parted. Judy smiled, before she placed one claw under his chin and nudged his jaw upwards until his mouth closed with an audible click.

Her touch snapped him out of his daze and he spoke. "I was going to come back and talk to you. I… well, I needed to think."

Judy nodded and grabbed his paw in her own. "I know, I just wasn't patient enough to wait."

Nick started to reply when a startled gasp caught their attention. They both turned to find a family of three porcupines standing nearby. One stood with her mouth open as she covered the eyes of the smaller child, while the other adult, a large boar, stood nervously nearby. The smallest porcupine spoke. "Mama, why are you covering my eyes? Is that fox going to eat the rabbit?"

The sow ignored her pup's question and angrily spluttered, "It's… unnatural. Out in the open, in a public park…"

Nick started to laugh, until he smelled the change in Judy's scent as her mood shifted. _Uh oh_. She balled up her fists and an angry look flashed across her face. "Carrots, how about we finish talking back at-"

She took a step towards the porcupines. "We're trying to have a private conversation here… why don't you go mind your own business somewhere else‽"

Nick shook his head. _She really needs to learn not to let dumb mammals get to her._ The two adult porcupines started to argue quietly, and Nick heard the sow egging on the boar to do something. _Time for us to go_. Being careful of Judy's wound, Nick scooped her up and stood, eliciting a startled yelp from the rabbit. The porcupines took a step back.

Judy looked up into Nick's face. "Whoa, Nick, wait-"

"What, I can't sweep you off your cute little bunny feet?" Keeping a careful eye on the porcupines, Nick strode off towards Judy's apartment. She tried to look over his shoulder to continue glaring at the porcupines as he walked, when he finally noticed her pants. "What are you wearing?"

She looked up at his face. "They gave me these scrubs at the hospital, since I'm not supposed to let anything rub against the dressing. All my pants are too tight and I didn't feel comfortable going commando in a dress."

Nick laughed. "Such language… it brings a tear to my eye. My little country bumpkin bunny, all grown up."

Judy tried to hide her smile with an exaggerated scowl. "Stop… don't make me punch you." She folded her arms and her face softened. "Why did you stop me from giving those porcupines a piece of my mind?"

"Because I didn't want to spend the rest of today pulling quills out of you. My mom used to always say, 'avoiding quills is easier than pulling them out later' and I have to agree."

Judy smirked. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not a porcupine then."

Nick nodded. "It would make hugging you pretty difficult." He paused. "Huh, I wonder if that's why porcupines are so cranky all the time… not enough hugs."

Judy laughed. "Alright Nick, you can put me down now."

"Not gonna happen, Carrots. I plan on keeping my paw on your tail until we get back to your apartment. I can smell that your leg is bleeding, and you shouldn't be walking. I just hope my dumb bunny hasn't torn open her stitches." His ears flattened against his head. "I'm sorry I ran off and made you come look for me."

"We both know you can't run fast enough to get away from me, Nicholas Wilde."

For the second time that day, Nick was dumbstruck. The intensity of her words made him swallow as he realized the truth of what she'd said. _I couldn't get away from you, even if I was on the other side of the planet_.

"Well, since you're being stupidly gallant and all…" Judy pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Clawhauser, making sure Nick could read it too: _call off search I found the idiot_.

Nick played along. "Tell me more about this idiot the entire ZPD was looking for."

Judy put her phone away and looked at his face. "Not everyone, just Clawhauser and a few officers already in the neighborhood. And I don't know much because he isn't talking."

Nick laughed and then he sighed. "I am an idiot."

Judy nodded but didn't say anything as she watched Nick's face for several moments before she spoke again. "Actually, I kind of like this. You can't look away while I talk to you, or run off and leave me wondering where the hell you went." She continued to look at him and wait.

Nick glanced at her, his face smug. "I didn't run. It was more of a jog…"

Judy gave him an annoyed look, and her right foot bounced in the air like she was trying to tap it impatiently. _Don't laugh, Wilde, or she'll beat you senseless_. "Ok ok, enough with the bunny death glare."

"We can wait and talk about this later if you aren't ready."

Nick stopped walking. "Really?"

She looked at her foot and it stopped moving. "You're gonna have to talk eventually, but I won't pressure you."

"Huh. Thank you, Judy."

Nick continued walking. He looked at Judy and her attempt at a 'patient waiting face' made him smile. "You really hate waiting, don't you?" She looked annoyed, but he saw she was trying to hide a smile of her own.

Nick cleared his throat. "It's ok, I actually am ready to talk. I heard you on the phone with your mom."

She looked up at his face. "And?"

"And it didn't sound like… well, I guess… look I know I should've stayed-"

"You're damn right you should have stayed. I don't know what you heard, or thought you heard, but… I love you too, you dumb fox."

Nick laughed. "Carrots, you're such a sweet talker."

They had almost reached Judy's apartment when she spoke again. "So you misheard part of a conversation and just assumed-"

The sudden loud noise of a lawn mower startled Judy. She turned her head sharply to look, and her ears smacked Nick in the face. He shook his head and almost dropped Judy as he tried to see around her ears before he gave up and gently nibbled one of them. Judy shrieked and turned to glare at him.

Nick grinned. "You're right, holding you is nice."

* * *

After she'd changed back into the long t-shirt again and he'd cleaned her wound, Judy convinced Nick to lay on the bed next to her. She had them face away from each other, so he wouldn't feel bad if he got emotional while they talked, and he wouldn't be distracted since she needed to let her wound breathe without a dressing. It didn't take him long to realize he'd been hustled again when she started playing with his tail.

"You ogle my butt, I get to play with your tail. Fair is fair."

"You think so, huh?" Nick moved his tail and flicked her in the face. She laughed and grabbed it again. "You really are a sly bunny. You've tricked me into telling you things I haven't told anyone else, not even the two vixens I've dated since I met you."

She gently stroked his tail and corrected him. "Three vixens. And I haven't tricked you, I've just had to learn to be excruciatingly patient sometimes."

"Uh-huh." Nick counted on his paw. "Wait, three? I only count two, Fluff. Sally and Kaitlyn."

"What about that barista-"

"Going out for coffee once doesn't count as dating. And let's see, you've dated," Nick carefully counted on his paws, "...I can't count that high." Judy's punch to his arm was swift and merciless. "Ow!"

"I didn't hit you that hard, you big baby. I've only been on nine dates, or three since I shouldn't count most of them if you aren't counting the barista. And none of those three disasters lasted anywhere near as long as you and Sally did."

Judy heard the tremor in his voice. "I wouldn't call the relationship I had with Sally a raging success."

She continued to run her paw through the fur on his tail. "What are you worried about?"

"You… me….us." Nick briefly flailed his arms around dramatically. "All of this. Mostly me, though."

"Yeah, because unlike you, I'm a real genius when it comes to relationships."

"Well, you're… persistent, at least." They both laughed.

Judy shook her head. "You're so romantic. But you're right. You should know by now I don't give up until I get what I want. I want us. And I want you, Nick."

She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke. "It won't be easy."

"I've always been great at finding the hardest path to take, so why should this be any different?" She paused for a few moments. "After all our time together, I know I can't push you to talk to me. I get it. When things get rough, you're a thinker and I'm a doer. Most of the time we're a great combo, it's what makes us work so well as partners. But sometimes we drive each other crazy. I promise I'll try to be patient if you promise to try not to-"

"Run off?"

"Well, maybe just warn me before you do? And I know you're used to assuming the worst, but please try not to do that with us, ok?"

She could hear the sincerity in his voice. "I'll try."

They sat in silence for several minutes until Nick spoke. "Well Carrots, you've molested my tail long enough." She made an annoyed noise as he stood up and pulled his tail away from her. "Lemme go wash my paws and take care of your wound so we can talk face to face".

After Nick finished putting on the new dressing, he came back from washing his paws a second time and Judy giggled when she noticed that he'd stripped down to his boxers. "You seem to have lost something on the way back from the bathroom, Mr. Wilde."

"What? Why should you be the only one who gets to be comfortable?"

"I didn't say I was complaining."

Nick moved to the other side of the bed so he was facing her and propped his head up on an elbow.

Judy looked at him mischievously. "I like playing with your tail, and you obviously want to play with mine…"

Nick raised an eyebrow. "My my, Miss Hopps, such naughty language today… so you're ok basing our relationship solely on us wanting to grab each other's tails?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's all it is. But we can't do anything too crazy until we're both… healed." Judy paused for a moment. "I trust you, Nick, like no one else I've known before." She tentatively reached out to stroke the fur on his chest. "Why did it take us so long to figure this out?"

Nick replied with a sly grin, "We just needed to date enough mammals for us to realize we're the only ones who can stand being around each other." Judy pushed him over and they both laughed.

She looked into his eyes and smiled. "It's ok, at least we finally get to be terrible at this together."

Nick scooted closer to her and grabbed his coffee from the nightstand behind her. He drank the rest and set the cup down before he pulled her in for a hug.

"We're gonna have to discuss the appalling lack of a coffee maker in your apartment."

Judy laughed. "I never got one because I liked having an excuse to meet you every morning at the coffee shop."

Nick chuckled. "That's the most ridiculously adorable thing I've ever heard."

Judy snuggled her face close to his chest and inhaled deeply. "I've got another confession. I wouldn't even admit it to myself back then, but I pilfered this shirt off your desk because it smelled like you."

His reply made her smile. "I guess you'll just have to settle for the real thing now."

They quietly held each other for a long time until Nick closed his eyes and sniffed between her ears.

Judy whispered quietly, "Desire."

"What?"

"The scent you asked about, it's desire." Judy pulled away slightly and gave Nick a sultry look. "I desire you, Nick Wilde."

This time, they shared a deeper kiss. It was awkward at first, until they eventually worked out the best way for them to fit together.

* * *

One week later, Nick and Judy walked towards ZPD headquarters. Nick took a drink of coffee from his shiny new travel mug as Judy spoke. "We'll keep it secret for now."

Nick nodded. "What about Clawhauser?"

"I didn't tell him anything, just that you'd left your keys and phone at my place and I needed to find you before I went to a doctor's appointment."

"Clever bunny. Anyone else know?"

"My mom does, obviously." Judy froze, then shook her head. "No, she doesn't know anyone besides you in the department, right?" She smiled when she saw he was lagging behind. "And stop checking me out!"

"What? I always do, you just never noticed until recently."

They exchanged greetings with Francine, who was standing next to the main entrance. The elephant surreptitiously sniffed the couple before they walked inside.

Chief Bogo leaned on the reception desk while he and Clawhauser watched Francine. The cheetah reacted immediately when he saw the elephant smile and nod. Clawhauser couldn't have looked more excited if Gazelle herself had arrived to give him the biggest donut in the world, as his tail curled and he scrunched up his chubby cheeks with his paws. This was the cue the few dozen officers standing around the lobby had been waiting for. They clapped, hooted, and stomped their feet immediately after Nick and Judy came through the door.

Chief Bogo snorted. _Finally, the end of the longest running betting pool in ZPD history. Those two would've died alone if they hadn't figured things out. And all it took was Hopps getting mauled by a lion_. Bogo wasn't sure how the fox's mysterious groin injury and the rabbit's shredded uniform fit into the picture, but he decided it was probably better if he didn't know the details.

Nick and Judy stood motionless and the noisy cheers continued. Nick slowly pulled off his sunglasses, a slack-jawed expression frozen on his face while several officers took pictures of the couple with their cellphones. The Chief chuckled to himself when he noticed Judy reflexively start to reach for Nick's paw and instead awkwardly pat down her ears. _I need to remember to call them into my office later and scare the hell out of them with a lecture on the dangers of fraternizing with fellow officers._

Bogo turned to Clawhauser and quietly asked, "How much did we make?"

"All the winners get nearly two hundred each, once the losers pay up."

"Let everyone know they have a week to square their debts or they'll get parking duty for a month. Oh and tell Wolford to send me the picture he just took of Wilde with that idiotic look on his face."

The tumult died down as everyone made their way to the bullpen, except Francine, who walked by the reception desk to collect a bag of jelly donuts from Clawhauser. The cheetah gazed at her with a look of awe on his face and asked, "How do you always know, Francine?"

She kept walking, leaving the cheetah to ponder her reply. "Oh, it was easy this time. They both smelled like strawberries."

THE END


	4. Bonus Addendum

See, even Chief Bogo ships these two.

Well, that's a wrap on story #4. Sorry it took so long for the last chapter, but it was way longer than my usual chapters. If you haven't read my other stories, I hope you will. Just check my author page for the other three, starting with _Never Time to Say Goodbye_. And comments are always greatly appreciated!

I like how one random stupid idea that popped into my head escalated into yet another story. Also guilt over my last story… so much guilt.

There were so many dumb titles I ended up not using, like _Judy and the Too Small Hole_ Every single title and synopsis I wrote kept making the story sound like smut. I also had way too many pages of fluffy dialogue that I was forced to trim down. And kudos to anyone who got the Kopi Luwak Coffeehouse/civet joke (if you don't, just go google it. I totally want this to be a place in Zootopia now). Also there's an interrobang in this story, something I've never willingly used before.

Random things from Google searches:

A group of porcupines is called a prickle

Elephants have a great sense of smell, probably the best of any mammal

Rabbit whiskers, and how they are supposed to help keep them from getting stuck in holes

Apparently strawberries are safe for rabbits to eat

Dressing hip/leg wound (I don't recommend this one, urghhh)

One of the songs on my playlist while I wrote this was Fire by Jessie J. so maybe there was a different kind of forest fire in this story?


End file.
